I first met Joe way back in the day when we were still both in high school. Back then I had my own promotion company and I organized and hosted all-ages events. A mutual friend of ours recommended I check Joe out at his schools dance so I did. I was quite impressed and the next event I put together I added Joe to the bill. Needless to say he has come a very long way from DJ’ing high school dances and all ages events, to now being one of Toronto’s top club DJ’s.
Joe has a strong understanding and talent for mixing a wide variety of music, but it’s fair to say he shines the brightest when he throws down house, hip hop, and mash-ups. In his earlier days him and Toast (one of Joe’s partners/affiliates) use to put out phenomenal mix tapes. More recently, I think due to his busy schedule, the mix tapes have taken a back seat.
That just about covers his introduction. With a European tour scheduled for this summer and production ambitions on the horizon it seems the only direction for Joe is up. He is definitely a DJ I recommend checking out. Here is my interview with him.
Q: When did u get in to DJ'ing and what got you into it?
A: Around 2000, 2001 when turntabilism (taking two records and manipulating them to create a “scratch” sound) was at its peak . I was always inspired by different types of genres spanning everywhere from hip-hop to blues , and during this time dj’s were starting to become rockstars , and seeing dj’s like tiesto and carl cox have 10,000 people in the palm of their hand left me as a 14 year old with my mouth wide open.
Q: How has your style changed over the years?
A: Music is always evolving and creativity is what captures my ears the most. Most dj’s today just stick with the fads and what is hot at the moment which creates a lot of short careers in the industry. I believe that in order to be successful you have to play what you like and the music that inspires you the most, so for me when it comes to picking and choosing the records I play I always narrow it down to the ones that I am feeling the most at that given time. In terms of actual style, every time I am in front of a crowd whether it be 500 people to 10,000 people , it is always a new experience and my style and performance that I put on for that crowd adapts to their own individuality. If they are giving me 110% energy, I return that.
Q: In my opinion (and I know many would agree) your DJ sets, mix
tapes, and remixes are absolutely banging. Can we expect to see any
original productions in the near future? and do you see your self
focussing on producing at some point?
A: Every dj that is passionate about music ultimately wants to create it, and express the way they feel music should be heard. Over the past year I have began to focus more on production and I can’t say anymore.. but yes stay tuned very soon!
Q: What are the big trends right now (music wise) and how would you
compare these to a few years ago when you were just starting out in
the game?
A: Digital music has taken over the industry, I could say that 80% of the djs in Toronto now have turned to laptop dj’ing. This evolution in dj’ing has made it more economical for me to travel as a dj by allowing me to bring the huge amounts of music I want to bring with me while on tour, without having to lug around crates full of records.
Q: What's your favorite venue to play at in Toronto?
A: Any venue that is music driven. In terms of Toronto I love playing at CiRCA, as do many international dj’s. The entire production level is amazing through its committed staff of light and sound engineers.
Q: Where have you played outside of Toronto?
A: The list is to long to mention! But this June 2009 I have a European tour that consists of shows in Paris, Ibiza and Rome.
Q: What has been your favorite or most memorable gig yet?
A: Every show I do has its own distinctive memorable experience, something that I can always appreciate.
Q: What is your number one beef (pet peeve)?
A: My largest pet peeve would defiantly have to be other dj’s that stand in viewing space from my music and copy down track for track that I play. One of the best parts of being a dj is finding the music, and now a days since so much of it is distributed digitally , it makes the scramble for finding good music even harder. The tracks you choose to play make up your individuality and show your uniqueness, djs that have no style and in turn no passion for music tend to jump on bandwagons and copy other peoples styles. In the end those that are always ahead of these cookie cutter dj’s always end up more successful.
Q: Any last words or advice for party goers or aspiring DJ's?
A: I find today that a lot of dj’s are lacking the original passion for dj’ing that many dj’s did when I started to get into dj’ing. A lot of dj’s now-a-days do it just for the image and basically steal a bunch of music off the internet and download a program then start to think they are able to dj without actually grasping the basics of dj’ing. Ultimately passion for music and love for what you are doing will take you as far as you want to go.
Another thing that I found out over the years is that if you have to also treat dj’ing as a business, and you have to make sure that at you are focused on the business aspect of dj’ing and although at times it doesn’t feel like work or a job , it is exactly that.
That about sums it up. Some great parting wisdom from Joe. I would love to see Joe play in Europe this summer as I'm sure many would, but might have to settle for Toronto. Definitely worth checking him out if you haven't already.
For more info about joe check out his numerous digital portals;
His website
www.joeghostonline.com
Myspace
www.myspace.com/joeghostonline
Facebook
“Joe Ghost”
Resident Advisor (http://www.residentadvisor.net)
“Joe Ghost”
Last.fm
“Joe Ghost”
Youtube
“Joe Ghost”
Aaron
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